Chocolate crinkle cookies

When I worked at Sofra they had a cookie called the Earthquake Cookie. It is my absolute favorite cookie because of its brownie-like consistency (I mean duh, brownie. My one true love). This one isn't quite as gooey as Sofra's, but it's pretty damn close. So if you like brownies half as much as I do, try this cookie!

For the cookies:

1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder

1/2 cup powdered sugar (for rolling the cookies)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, coffee/espresso powder, and baking power.

In a separate large bowl, preferably with an electric mixer, combine the vegetable oil and granulated sugar. Beat for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until combined. Add in flour mixture, and mix until combined.

Cover the mixture with plastic wrap (either in the bowl, or just dump it out onto the counter and form a disc). Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in the powdered sugar to coat.

Place on the prepared cookie sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. When they come out they'll be soft in the middle and slightly crisp on the outside.

Recipe adapted from LOL Foodie.

Peppermint bark brownies

 

zomgwow. Rebe and I are dying over these brownies. It's definitely the peppermint layer, it's so light and airy and delicious. I cannot recommend these enough. So perfect for the holidays.

Apologies for being on a brownie kick, they're just SO AWESOME.

For the brownie bit:

8 Tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 extra large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the peppermint layer:

2 cups confectioners' sugar
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate layer:

4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 candy canes, crushed

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving overhang for easy removal; lightly spray with non-stick baking spray. In a bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave, melt the butter and chocolate; set aside. In a medium bowl beat the eggs and sugar with a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the flour, extracts, espresso powder, and salt. Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir just until blended. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat together the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, and extracts until smooth and creamy using a hand-held mixer. Spread the mixture over the cooled brownies and chill in the refrigerator until set, about 1 hour.

One the peppermint layer and brownies are cooled, start with the chocolate layer. In a bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave, melt the butter and chocolate; cool slightly. Pour the chocolate over the peppermint layer and sprinkle with the crushed candy canes. Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 1 hour. Cut into 20 squares. Serve the brownies chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Recipe from The Galley Gourmet

Red velvet cheesecake brownies

As if cheesecake brownies weren't enough. Duh.

For the red velvet bit:

1/2 cup butter
2-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp red food coloring
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

For the cheesecake bit:

8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease. In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir with a fork until very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Batter should be red. If a brighter red is desired, add an additional 1/2 tsp food coloring. Add flour and salt into the bowl and stir until everything is just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

Next, prepare cheesecake mixture. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter. Gently swirl two batters with a butter knife.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.

Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving, either at room temperature or chilled. Brownies can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.

Recipe from Baking Bites

Nutella brownies

Let's face it I'm obsessed with brownies. And these ones are up there with the best I've ever had. Better than my Plumb good brownies. Yup, better. They've got a crispy crunchy top and are super gooey inside. I hadn't previously been a fan of crispy tops, but I think I've been turned. I would go as far to say that they are even better on the second day! Really I just plan on using this brownie batter base for everything in the future, and substituting nutella for swirls of peanut butter, cream cheese, you name it. My one mistake was that I only made a half batch. Don't do it, you'll be disappointed. If anything make a double batch. Or triple...

For the brownies:

4 squares Bakers unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour

For the swirl:

1/2 cup Nutella

Heat oven to 350°F.

Line 13x9-inch pan with parchment paper, with ends of parchment paper extending over sides. Spray with cooking spray.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

Spoon tablespoon-sized dollops of Nutella over the brownie batter. Using a knife, swirl the Nutella around until it is just incorporated.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or untila knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Use parchment paper handles to remove brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

Recipe inspired by Baker's Brownies

S'mores brownies

I just ate my weight in brownie batter. Then half my weight in brownie crumbs when they overflowed of the baking pan. Ouchhhhh.

That's how good these brownies are. They make you lick spoonfuls of batter each time you add another ingredient. Any good cook monitors their work now, don't they? What's that called, a product tester? Yeah that's totally my job. At least that's what I'm telling myself...

Case in point these brownies are kind of addicting.

That's really all I have to say.

Makes 15 super large brownies

For the brownies:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup graham cracker, roughly crushed with your hands
15 big marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan with 2-inch-high sides (This part is very important! You need a tall pan or they'll overflow!) Combine first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Stir butter and chocolate in a medium sized bowl over a heavy saucepan of simmering water. Stir chocolate and butter in this double boiler until melted and smooth.

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Stir in warm chocolate mixture, then dry ingredients. Fold in graham crackers. Pour batter into prepared pan. Dot with 15 large marshmallows. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30- 40 minutes minutes.

Marshmallows will be browned and puffy but will deflate as the brownies cool. Cool for at least 20 minutes than slice with a sharp knife, cleaning the knife with hot water if it gets too messy and sticky. Serve or wrap individually in wax paper for storing.

Tip: this makes a very cakey brownie. If you prefer a more fudgey brownie, eliminate 1 egg for a richer texture.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker.

Brownies with espresso cream cheese frosting, crushed oreos, and sea salt

I die. Who's the culprit? 

exhibit A: the sea salt top. Could it be the ones so carefully sprinkled over the brownie? The saline biting my palate with saltiness? Or could it be.....

exhibit B: the crumbly oreos. They're definitely suspect. Come on, now. Cookies on top of a brownie? That's awfully dangerous. But perhaps it was.....

exhibit C: the cream cheese espresso frosting. And with the espresso powder perfectly accentuating the chocolate flavors above and below its creamy layer? It's killer. Or is it.....

exhibit D: the ooey brownie goodness. Now I turn to our last, and possibly most dangerous, of our suspects. You all know I'm a huge fan of brownies. This is, like, a top 5 favorite food type-of-deal. This recipe comes from Alton Brown and I've got to say, they're pretty rad. Definitely not as ooey as my plumb good brownies, but still great in all their moist cakeyness.

Who knows what put me 6 feet under. With such plausible subjects, maybe it was a group homicide.

Morbid, I know, but these brownies kill me. They're that good.

Makes 18 brownies

For the brownies:

1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
8 ounces melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon iodized salt
3/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder

For everything else:

6 oreo cookies, crushed
Espresso powder, for dusting
Sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Grease a 9 1/2" x 11" pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

While the brownies are cooking, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, use a spatula to combine all ingredients for the frosting together. Once roughly combined, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the frosting until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Once the brownies are cool, remove them from their pan and place on a cutting board, face up. Cut the width into sixths and the length into thirds. Keep brownies together so it is easy to spread frosting. Spoon the frosting out onto the brownies and spread evenly, coating out to the edges.

Sprinkle crushed oreos over the frosting, again coating evenly. Then, dust more instant coffee powder over the top. Finally, sprinkle a good amount of sea salt over the entire thing. Carefully pull apart and enjoy!

Plumb good brownies

Here we go. Best brownies I've ever made to date are getting an update. This time we've got less sugar and less fat, with all the taste and then some. Like honestly guys these brownies are like crack. Don't think twice. Just make them. You'll be so happy. Why? Let me break it down:

Texture: chewy and gooey and oh so melt-in-your mouth good. The sugar settles just the slightest bit and makes a small layer of fudge-like goodness on the bottom. Then you have the chocolate chips that melt slowly in your mouth as you chew. Yuh-huh.

Richness/Density: super dense and filling. Take before bed with a glass of milk and you'll be perfectly full.

Flavor: dark and delicious. The cocoa makes the brownies super chocolate-y and the coffee powder works to intensify the chocolate experience.

Makes 12-16 brownies

For the brownies:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder

2 eggs

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together both sugars, salt, coffee powder, cocoa powder, and flour. Then, add eggs, the melted butter, oil, and water. Finally mix in the chocolate chips.

ay bay bay

Grease a 9'X13" pan. Pour mixture in and bake for roughly 25 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into brownies.

Recipe adapted from Babble.

Double chocolate brownies

I'm a huge brownie connoisseur. When I lived at home we went through a period where we made at least 2 boxed brownies a week. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we had 9 people in the house... Regardless. My mom and I would take them out of the oven way sooner than the directions told us to, because we looooved gooey brownies. I was skeptical to make a brownie recipe with just cocoa and no chocolate bar base, but I have to say these are damn good. Definitely reminiscent of those boxed brownies you used to enjoy as a kid, only these are homemade, so they're like twelve times better. My biggest piece of advice with these babies is: don't overcook them. Take them out as soon as a knife comes out clean when you insert it into the brownies. Enjoyski! 

For the brownies:

2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/8 teaspoon instant espresso (or coffee) powder

2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together both sugars, salt, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and flour. Then, add eggs, the melted butter, oil, and water. Finally mix in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

Grease a 9'X13" pan. Pour mixture in and bake for roughly 25 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into brownies.

Recipe adapted from Babble. Original recipe can be found here.